Welcome the Newcomer

Meditation

Therefore, welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

(Romans 15:7)

My first experience with attending a church, after I was saved, brought mixed results. The pastor welcomed me with open arms but most of the rest of the congregation was less hospitable. I tried getting active and involved, joining several small groups, however, I always felt like I was struggling to belong. After I attended there for several years, I decided it was time to move on. The next church I attended, the pastor never spoke to me until the Sunday I decided was going to be my last. Another church I attended for four weeks, no one spoke to me even once. I don’t want to sound like a pouting child, but those churches, and one other I didn’t mention, could have done a much better job at welcoming newcomers.

When a new person walks into our churches, are we trying to make them feel welcome? Are we doing our best to make a new Christian feel like a member of the body of Christ? We have a tendency to think it’s the pastor’s job to make them feel comfortable but it’s everyone’s responsibility. A newcomer is not going to rush up to everyone to introduce themselves. We should go out of our way to help them feel loved and included. The Father wants us to make the first move to reach out to include new people into our church or small group.

I must say, there are wrong ways to approach a newcomer. One of them is to have five or six parishioners rush up with clipboards in hand asking them to immediately join the different small groups you have. That happened to me also. It felt like I was a piece of raw meat they all wanted. They didn’t know my interests or talents. To be sure, they didn’t even know my name yet. I guess they thought they’d learn my name after I signed their clipboards. I told them all I’d think about it but never went back. Approach a newcomer one or two at a time, get to know them by listening to them. Show an interest in them, including their names.

That’s what Christ expects of us. He wants us to remember what it was like when we were new and then use our experience to make everyone feel like they belong. Take a look around at the people in your church. There is probably someone, even those who have been attending for a long time, who could be made to feel more welcome or who would like to be included in activities. Christ accepts us when we don’t deserve it. He loves us even though we are unlovable. He adopts us into his family and we bring praise and glory to the Father when we make all the children of God feel comfortable and at home.

Prayer Time

Lord God when we think about all you have done for us our hearts well up in praise and adoration. You only ask for love in return for love given. You love us all, Lord, so when new people walk into our churches, help us to greet them with love. Whether they are rich or poor, whether they are dressed well or in tatters, whether they are healthy or infirm, we should reach out with a hand of brotherhood. We shouldn’t do this to show them what nice people we are, even though we’re supposed to be nice. We do this to give glory to you, God. We don’t welcome them with the hope they’ll be giving large sums of money to the church. We don’t simply check them off as adding to our attendance numbers. They are God’s children, just like we are, making us all brothers and sisters in the family of God. Christ didn’t start his Church to fill the pews with attendees. He built the Church to be filled with followers. Just as Christ welcomed us into his Church, we should reach out and welcome the newcomers to our church. In Christ’s name. Amen!